Novak Djokovic Embraces the Cause of Peace through Sport

MONACO, 17 APRIL, 2011 – FROM THE MONTE-CARLO ROlex MASTERS, CURRENTLY TAKING PLACE IN MONACO, ATP WORLD n°2 NOVAK DJOKOVIC TODAY JOINED THE "CHAMPIONS FOR PEACE" CLUB, A GROUP OF OVER 50 TOP-LEVEL INTERNATIONAL SPORTS PEOPLE COMMITED TO PROMOTE PEACE IN THE WORLD THROUGH SPORT.

Created by "Peace and Sport, l’Organisation pour la Paix par le Sport" based in the Principality of Monaco under the High Patronage of HSH Prince Albert II, the Champions for Peace club now counts

55 exceptional champions who wish to actively contribute to a true culture of peace in the world by promoting sport and its values.

His unusual profile and charisma make "Djoko" a perfect champion to spread awareness of this cause to the millions of young tennis fans throughout the world for whom Novak is an icon.

Beyond his outstanding performances and his fame, Djokovic will contribute to Peace and Sport’s mission to use sport as a tool for dialogue, social integration and education for thousands of vulnerable young people living in underprivileged areas in the world.

Novak Djokovic declared: "I am very proud that I was invited to become a Champion for Peace. I want to give back to the world the joy and fulfilment that I have received through tennis. I firmly believe that sport serves the cause of peace by improving the lives of young people and building bridges between communities. I want to contribute and become an actor for peace. The Peace and Sport organisation is the perfect platform to achieve this."

Joël Bouzou, President and Founder of Peace and Sport, himself a World Champion and Olympic Medallist, added: "Champions are the backbone of what we do at Peace and Sport. It’s a real pleasure to be able to count on Novak’s enthusiasm, determination and intelligence to engage with his fans, reach out to new audiences and convince policy-makers that sport can and must contribute to sustainable peace. We are deeply honoured that this great celebrity has joined the Champions for Peace family. He’ll be a great source of inspiration for all of us and I look forward to working with him."

Other Champions for Peace include legends of the podiums such as Sergey Bubka, SEBASTIEN CHABAL, FRANKIE FREDERICKS, Cathy Freeman, Yelena Isinbayeva, Christian KarembeU, WILSON KIPKETER, Bradley McGee, SEBASTIEN LOEB, TEGLA LOROUPE, VENUSTE NYIONGABO and Paula Radcliffe.

This exceptional group represents 31 nationalities from all 5 continents, 29 Olympic and non-Olympic sports disciplines with a total of 68 World Champions, 27 Olympic Champions and more than 150 national and regional titles!

The complete list of Champions for Peace is available on www.peace-sport.org

For more information, contact: www.peace-sport.org.

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